Patricia Dusenbury - Claire Marshall 01 - A Perfect Victim Read Free Page A

want you deciding I'm more trouble than I'm worth." He slipped an oblong box into
her jacket pocket. "Open it after I leave."
    Inside the terminal, she'd opened the box, expecting a nice pen, and been surprised by a
sparkly watch. Costume jewelry was an odd present for a business acquaintance. She told herself
that Frank meant well. He just wasn't accustomed to female colleagues--or to apologizing. She'd
tucked it into her suitcase, planning to write a thank you note when she returned to New Orleans,
and boarded her plane.
    Maybe she ought to take another look.
    She pulled her suitcase out from under the bed and retrieved the box. The watch really was
pretty, an art deco design in white metal embellished with dozens of glittering stones. She took it
out of the box and turned it over. Elegant letters engraved on the back spelled Piaget and,
beneath that, 18K . Piaget didn't make costume jewelry. The metal was white gold, and those
stones were diamonds.
    "Did you see my note?" Her mother stood in the doorway.
    "I did, thank you." Her hand closed around the watch. If her mother saw this extravagant
gift, she'd jump to the wrong conclusion about her relationship with Frank. Anyone would.
    "What have you got there?"
    "A rhinestone bracelet," Claire lied. "I bought it this morning. Jack's wife has a birthday next
week, and she likes sparkly things." She returned the watch to its box and closed the lid.
    "Are you hungry? I picked up deli sandwiches for lunch. Hot pastrami."
    "My favorite, thank you." Claire found a smile. "I have one more quick call. I'll be through by
the time you unwrap them."
    Her mother went downstairs, and she called Jack to give him the good news.
    "I'll be at the bank in ten minutes," he said, "unless I have a heart attack on the way."
    "Bobby Austin, himself, told me not to worry. I'm passing it on."
    She'd mailed the checks Monday afternoon before leaving for the airport, too late for a
Tuesday delivery. People would have gotten them yesterday at the earliest, more likely today.
Maybe everything was going to be okay. She hoped the knot in her stomach left room for a pastrami
sandwich.
    After lunch, Claire called Jack again. He hadn't called back, which meant the bank must
have honored Frank's check, but the more she thought about the situation the less comfortable she
felt. Jack was happy to reassure her.
    "The minute I walked in, the manager hurried over with his hand out and a big smile on his
face. No kidding." He laughed. "I looked to see who was standing behind me."
    "Did you tell him I've already written checks against the deposit?"
    "If any checks bounced, the bank will take full responsibility and say it was their mistake. I
don't know what you said to Austin, but it worked like magic."
    Jack's story heightened Claire's unease. Bobby must have called the branch manager, and
he wouldn't have done that unless he thought she and Frank "had plans" as he put it. Jeanette was
an airhead, but being asked to make honeymoon reservations would be hard to misinterpret.
    "Has Frank called the office?"
    "Nope."
    "Don't do any more work on his cottage until I talk to him. Shift the crew over to the
Esplanade project."
    "You said there wasn't any problem."
    "I want to be sure there isn't. Better safe than sorry. Right?" Claire ended the call on a light
note she didn't feel.
    If Frank was telling people they planned to marry, there was a big problem. As bizarre as
that was, she could think of no other explanation, and she couldn't bear to have people thinking she
was involved with him, much less engaged. She called the airline and switched her return flight
from Sunday evening to tomorrow morning. Then she called Frank's office and told Jeanette she'd
be flying back to New Orleans tomorrow and would like to schedule an appointment with Frank any
time after two.
    "Schedule an appointment?" Jeanette echoed. "Don't be silly, Claire. If he's back in time,
he'll want to meet your plane. After all." She giggled.
    "Delta